PIROUETTING in front of a bank of photo-electric cells, Dixie Dunbar, New York dancer, recently cast a living silhouette on the world’s largest animated electric sign above the Great White Way. Her shadow, thrown on the electric eyes, blacked out lights in corresponding areas of the sign. In regular operation, animated-cartoon silhouettes are projected on the cells from a movie film.

PIPED LIGHT, providing surgeons and dentists with powerful, sterile beams devoid of heat, glare, or the danger of electrical shock, is made possible by instuments molded from a transparent plastic which carries light around curves and bends (P.S.M March ’37, p. 43). The molded hand-held rodlike instruments have electric bulbs at their bases, powered either through extension cords from transformers that cut down 110-volt current to six volts, or by flash-light cells in a special base. Among the new plastic instruments are a tongue depressor that throws a concentrated beam on the throat of a patient, a retractor which serves the double purpose of holding back the cheek and lighting the mouth, and a long curved rod which casts a brilliant beam on the teeth.

Both of these cyclists are wearing crash helmets – the lady’s a nylon-hair wig on a heavy plaster-composition base. Made by a London hairdresser in a variety of colors and hairdos, the wigs are the rage with women riders. Skintight, they are water-proof and can be worn on any occasion

Feller retired t’other day and got himself a new kind of rockin’ chair. Rocks itself. Rocks him, too. Semms like when this feller, a machinist type, quit to take it easy, some other fellers he’d worked with said, “Well now! How about havin’ a chair that rocks automatic-like?” So they built it out of a one-cylinder gas engine and gears. Works, too. Noisy though. Feller’s name is Frank miller. Other fellers – them as built it- are Bull Nyman, Bob Connely, Joe Wright and Bill Jacobus. Chair rocks itself and Frank in Huntington Station, N.Y.

Not much larger than a suitcase, a new electonic “brain” can handle most of the intracate problems solved by huge automatic computers, some of them almost the size of a basketball court. The small computer, called the Madida for it’s initials (magnetic drum digital differential analyzer) was designed by 31-year-old Floyd G. Steele. It is only two feed wide, four feed long and three feet high, and weighs 750 pounds. When a difficult problem is fed into the Maddida it comes up with an answer accurate to within one part in a million.

Nifty but I’ll bet on partly cloudy days the awnings keep opening and closing every time a cloud passes by.

Magic HOUSE Makes Own WEATHER

Features at the Century of Progress it is a magic dwelling which literally makes it’s own weather.

The secret of the process lies in a remarkable air-conditioning system which cools the air when it is too warm and heats it when it is too cold, dries it when it is moist and humidifies it when itis too dry, cleans it of pollen, dust and odors and keeps the air conditioned at all times.

Sensitive recorders placed on window sills close the windows if a shower comes up; and awnings are lowered or raised automatically by action of the sun’s rays.

Caption 1: Photo shows house of tomorrow – the air-conditioned dwelling at the Century of Progress. Note position of awnings which are automatically lowered when sun shines upon them and raised when sun sets or disappears behind a bank of clouds.

Caption 2: Circle above – Children may play indoors in comfort on the hottest days in the air-conditioned house. Note aquarium filled with water extracted from air in one hour’s time and glass ball filled with dust in same period. Left above – Button panel regulates heat or cold through air conditioner, left; opens or closes doors and windows and raises or lowers bed to more confortable positions. Right – Demonstrating with an atomizer how windows close and the first hint of rain.

This prow-shaped mask with built-in snorkel and compass holder was invented by Calvin Gongwer and used by him in a recent 22-mile swim from Catalina Island to San Pedro Calif. He claims that the “speed mask” cuts drag by 35 percent.

This is just crazy, they are talking about leaking plutonium; one of the most toxic and poisonous substances on earth, and the only thing they are worried about is how damn expensive that stuff is. I hope everyone in Hanford WA, is wearing one of those dashing suits.

Atomic Suit Inflated with Conditioned Air

The girl at right, wearing an anti-radiation suit is ready for her atomic job. Handling a Geiger counter and protected by the inflated plastic garment, she can detect floating radioactive particles without danger of contamination. Goodyear-made, the suit is air-conditioned for comfort.

Robot Halts Waste
When waste collected by this tape shows plutonium the machine signals control engineers at the Hanford atomic plant. Prompt “leak” plugging saves GE $250,000 a year in lost nuclear fuel.

This phone-viewing system gives you a picture of any caller similarly equipped. It can be used on ordinary telephone lines. Push a button and within five seconds the picture appears. Developed by Toshiba Co., Japan, price is estimated at $250 although it’s not yet ready for sale.